NASA has for the first time outsourced the orbital raising mission of its own in-orbit observatory to a private company, but the mission encountered a malfunction just as it entered a critical preparation phase. NASA and Katalyst Space stated on July 28 that the LINK spacecraft responsible for the mission has lost its stable attitude and is tumbling in space, while ground teams are attempting to regain control.

Originally intended as a Swift promotion track

The mission aims to rendezvous with the Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory and elevate it to a higher orbit, extending the observatory's operational lifespan. Swift, launched in 2004, is primarily designed to rapidly target transient celestial phenomena such as gamma-ray bursts.

As its orbit gradually decays, the observatory is being continuously pulled down by Earth's gravity. NASA therefore chose to conduct an on-orbit lift mission through a commercial partnership. This is the first time NASA has commissioned a private company to perform such an operation for its observation equipment.

Both reaction wheels have failed.

The LINK spacecraft launched on July 3 aboard a Northrop Grumman Pegasus rocket. Over the past few weeks, the flight control team has been working on post-orbit system activation and testing in preparation for a rendezvous with Swift.

However, over the weekend, the spacecraft began experiencing attitude control problems and entered a tumbling state, causing communication difficulties. One reason was that the antenna kept deviating from Earth's direction during the tumbling. NASA stated that two of the three reaction wheels responsible for controlling the spacecraft's orientation had failed, and another propulsion system also experienced problems.

Ground team attempts to slow down

Currently, the flight control team is attempting to use another set of thrusters on the spacecraft to reduce the rotational speed through continuous firing. NASA stated that this series of operations has begun and is "seeing the expected results."

Katalyst had previously stated that the spacecraft was built in a shorter timeframe because Swift needed to complete its orbital ascent as quickly as possible in the coming months. Kieran Wilson, the company's chief mission engineer, said before launch that such missions are inherently challenging and risky, and even spacecraft with longer development cycles and more funding can fail due to common malfunctions.

Additional information:Katalyst Space raised $12 million in funding in June, with investors including Fortitude Ventures and Geodesic Capital. The company has also received funding from the U.S. military, and its platform can be used for satellite maintenance or close-range observation of other spacecraft.